Strategies to enhance the success of mid-career nurse scientists

BackgroundThe mid-career nurse scientist, defined as an associate professor with/without tenure, is often faced with a multitude of challenges and opportunitiesPurposeThis paper shares strategies to assist mid-career scientists as they juggle required career demands and navigate the mid-career phase in pursuit of the rank of full professor.MethodA review of the literature was performed on mid-career nurse scientists.DiscussionA combination of increased research responsibilities, increased institutional teaching and service demands, and dwindling support can result in a sense of overwhelm and burnout. The mid-career nurse scientist must balance several balls in the air at one time to remain successful.ConclusionStrategies aligned with the Ecological Framework, focus on intrapersonal, interpersonal, institutional, organizational, and public policy domains to provide a wide scope of strategies that target the mid-career scientist and engage the larger nursing community.     

Preparing the nurse scientist for academia and industry

The number of doctoral programs in nursing has been increasing. However, these programs tend to focus on preparing nurse scientists to conduct research, and many spend little time preparing doctoral students for the educator, clinical researcher, or administrator role. Leaders of doctoral programs have identified the need to prepare doctoral students in the functional roles they will assume upon graduation, in addition to the researcher role. This article describes a two-course (six-credit) sequence of courses within a research-focused PhD in Nursing program that provides didactic and experiential knowledge about the role of the nurse scientist in academia and industry settings. Students are highly satisfied with the courses, and report that the experiences have provided them with important knowledge and skills as they assume the scientist role.     

The magnet process and the perceived work environment of nurses

BACKGROUND: Several studies have described the work environment of nurses from magnet and nonmagnet hospitals, but there have been no studies of nurses from hospitals in the magnet application process. OBJECTIVES: To compare the differences between characteristics of hospitals and nurses from three hospital types: magnet hospitals, hospitals in the process of applying for magnet certification, and nonmagnet hospitals, and how nurses from these hospitals perceive their work environment. METHODS: In a national, cross-sectional survey of critical care nurses, the Perceived Nursing Work Environment (PNWE) instrument was administered to measure nurses' perceptions of their work environment. RESULTS: Data were available from 2,092 nurse surveys. Over a third of the respondents were from in-process hospitals and almost half were from nonmagnet hospitals. The majority of nurses were female and from large hospitals in the Atlantic region. The mean age of nurses was 39.5 years and the mean years of work experience in the intensive care unit (ICU) was 10.2 years. Higher nurse scores were significantly associated with magnet certification on one subscale of the PNWE, nursing competence. DISCUSSION: Nurses from magnet hospitals had a positive perception of nursing competence in their work environment. Further research is necessary to examine the nurse work environment and to determine if the characteristics of magnet hospitals have changed.     

The nurse practitioner role in the NICU as perceived by parents

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to understand and describe the nature of nurse practitioner care delivery in the newborn intensive care unit (NICU) as perceived by parents of critically ill neonates. DESIGN: This qualitative study used a phenomenologic approach to answer the research question: "What is the lived experience of parents whose babies were cared for by a nurse practitioner in the NICU? METHODS: Consistent with phenomenologic methods, eight parents were asked: "What was it like for you to have a nurse practitioner care for you and your baby?" Parents whose babies had within the last 8 months spent at least 2 weeks in the NICU and had been discharged to home were asked to participate by letter. Consent of interested parents was obtained and interviews were conducted in the parents' homes. All interviews were audiotaped and transcribed. RESULTS: In addition to being able to effectively manage the medical care of the complex neonate, nurse practitioners were consistently perceived as: "being positive and reassuring," "being present," "caring," "translating information," and "making parents feel at ease." IMPLICATIONS: Nurse practitioners working in the NICU can feel validated by the fact that they are clearly appreciated by parents. Inclusion of NPs in the NICU care team enhances the care provided to infants and their families.     

The rural nurse work environment and structural empowerment

Rural health care organizations struggle to attract and retain nurses, yet much of the research has focused on characteristics of the nurse work environment or empowerment in urban hospitals. The purpose of this study was to examine the nurse work environment in rural areas across settings by describing the relationship between structural empowerment and characteristics of the nurse work environment. Nurses ( N = 97) working in home care agencies and hospitals were surveyed. Significant differences were found between the groups, with home care nurses having significantly higher empowerment scores than medical/surgical nurses. A strong correlation was found between characteristics of the nurse work environment and empowerment. Policy makers are using evidence to guide development of policies, but much of the research has been conducted in urban hospital settings. This study begins to provide evidence that differences exist between urban and rural areas and between practice settings.     

The perceived benefits of the enrolled nurse conversion course on professional and academic advancement

A study by Seccombe et al. (1997) for the United Kingdom Central Council (UKCC) found that seven in ten nurses who responded to their study perceived that there was no future for enrolled nurses (ENs). Conversion to first level registration is seen as a means by which ENs can progress in their career and there are an estimated 36 000 nurses who may still seek to convert. There is little evidence in the literature to indicate the value of conversion courses for ENs, yet Health Minister Alan Milburn plans to increase the number of places on conversion courses including funding 2700 places (Watson 1998). Evidence of the value of conversion would be helpful to individuals, teachers and managers rather than relying on anecdotal evidence of progress on which to judge its success or otherwise.The aims of conversion courses include the development of nursing knowledge, clinical skills and attitudes. In this study, a questionnaire is used to determine the perceived benefits to the individual who has undertaken a conversion course and the impact it has on career advancement, both professional and academic. The statements used are developed from a small exploratory study carried out by the authors (Allan & McLafferty 1999) in which it became clear that there were indeed positive changes in knowledge, skills and attitudes with as many as 90% of respondents having commenced or considering further study. The authors have broadened the study to include all Schools of Nursing and Midwifery who offer an EN conversion course in Scotland.     

Gender and perceived nurse caring in nurse-patient dyads.

The effect of nurse gender on nurse and patient perceptions of nurse caring was explored. Members of nurse-patient dyads (N = 145), equally distributed among the four possible gender combinations, completed matching forms of the Caring Questionnaire immediately following a shift. Perceptions of nurse caring that actually occurred during the preceding shift, as well as usual preferences about nurse caring, were measured. Results of two-factor ANOVAS showed no significant differences in actual caring according to nurse gender from either the nurse or the patient perspective. Expectations of certain nurse caring behaviours, however, were significantly lower for male nurses from both nurse and patient perspectives. The results suggest implications for nursing practice, education and further research.